Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education Volume 11 / Issue 1 Revue canadienne des jeunes chercheures et chercheurs en éducation Spring / Printemps 2020 Emphasizing Multicultural and Anti-Racist Pedagogies as One Aspect of Decolonizing Education Rawia Azzahrawi, University of Manitoba, Canada Abstract: Multiculturalism is a vital component of Canadian history and culture and this diversity deserves special attention. Learning diverse languages, cultures, and communicating with different nationalities within the school environment can help students appreciate the multiethnic nature of our world. It also helps them realize the inherent values, beliefs, morals, and principles of the cultures they meet. Recognizing the influences, impacts, and inspirations of various ethnicities on the cultural life of communities is critical. This paper discusses how multicultural and anti-racist pedagogies can be used as one of the elements of decolonizing education. Furthermore, the paper studies the role of colonialism in contemporary education and suggests several recommendations to prevent racism in the educational system. Incorporating members with diverse cultural practices, beliefs, and contributions is critical to promote inclusive communities. Supporting students to live, work, and communicate with other groups in society ultimately assists in developing more cohesive and productive communities. Key Words: Multiculturalism, Diversity, Anti-racist, Educational Approaches, Decolonizing Education Introduction ntoday’s classrooms, race, socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, and religious beliefs are different elements of diversity in education. For instance, according to Prescott, Muniz, and Ishmael (2018) “the number of students Iof colour enrolled in public schools has increased and these students are expected to make up the majority of high school graduates by 2025”. With the increasing diversity, different teaching styles are required, and the need to incorporate and attend to these differences among students becomes challenging. Accordingly, emphasis on group relations and inclusivity among different cultures became a priority (McLeod & Smolska, 1997, p. 2). Multicultural and anti-racist educational approaches have been developed to be inclusive of students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The relationship between racism and colonialization has had an impact on different cultures all over the world. The nature and expression of racism are found in different behavioural practices and are shaped by historical, political, economic, and contextual factors (Dovidio, 2001; Dovidio, Gaertner, Kawakami, & Hodson, 2002). Individuals across various cultures have experienced different types of discrimination as a result of ethnocentric views from the dominant culture. After the success of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, overt racism is no longer socially acceptable in most places in the western world; however, covert racism has emerged causing uncensored values and negative feelings (Dovidio et al.,2002). In education, several researchers argued that the dominant forms of knowledge and ways of thinking can be found in many elements in school systems, curricula, and epistemology (e.g., Baker, 2001; Dei 1996; Dovidio et al., 2002; Nieto, 2009).Nieto (2009) stated that the desire to increase educational opportunities to benefit a larger number of students has been of paramount importance for many educators. This is of particular interest with the increase of racial, linguistic, and economic diversity in schools and society (Nieto, 2009). Therefore, educators and educational leaders employ different approaches to decolonize education. This paper discusses how multicultural and anti-racist pedagogies can be used as one of the elements of decolonizing education. Furthermore, the paper studies the role of colonialism in today’s education system and suggests several recommendations in order to prevent racism in the educational system. Incorporating members with diverse cultural practices, beliefs, and contributions is critical. Supporting multicultural groups to live, work, and communicate with other groups in society ultimately assists in developing more cohesive and productive communities. Literature Review Multiculturalism pursues the inclusion of its diverse members and maintains respect for their differences. Fleras (2009) stated that Canada’s national project of multiculturalism is based on a commitment to inclusiveness through social justice and recognition of the politics of identity and civic participation. Significant attention is given to acceptance of differences, protecting individual rights, reducing prejudice, and removing discriminatory barriers between communities. Supporters of multicultural education in Canada believe that its primary goals are to reduce 36 Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education Volume 11 / Issue 1 Revue canadienne des jeunes chercheures et chercheurs en éducation Spring / Printemps 2020 discrimination against oppressed groups and to distribute an equitable power among members from different cultures. Advocates of multicultural education play a critical role in increasing individuals’ awareness of cultural traditions and experiences, and in assisting them to understand that their race, culture, language, and socialization experiences have value (Ramsey, Williams, & Vold, 2003, p. 17). As both a policy and human rights issue, Fleras (2009) supports that Canada affirms the value and dignity of all citizens, regardless of ethnicity; such emphasis on the value of multiculturalism remains essential, especially as Canada’s demographics become increasingly diverse in the twenty-first century (pp. 4-13). According to Richmond, (2001), immigrant and refugee arrival in Canada from Europe, Asia, and Africa resulted in many changes in government policies and laws that were established to protect diversity in the country (pp. 14-15). As a term, multiculturalism first came into vogue in Canada in the 1960s to counter “biculturalism” and was popularized by the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (Burnet & Driedger, 2014). It refers to “an ideal of equality and mutual respect among a population's ethnic or cultural groups; and to refer to policies implemented by the federal government in 1971 and subsequently by a number of provinces” (Burnet & Driedger, 2014). Multiculturalism was also enshrined into the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 (Section 27) and in 1988 the “Canadian Multiculturalism Act” which governs all the rights that citizens have in the country. Many authors (e.g., Banks, 2004, 2013; Cochram-Smith, 2004; Sleeter & Grant, 1987; Wilson, 1997) define multicultural education using different perspectives, beliefs, minority behaviours, values, religion, languages, and identities. According to Wilson (1997), multicultural education relates to education and instruction designed for the cultures of several different races in an educational system. He believed that multicultural education was based upon respecting and fostering cultural pluralism within national societies. The historical roots of multicultural education emerged during the national civil rights movements of 1960s and 1970s by various historically oppressed groups. For example, the women’s rights activists advocated for educational reform. They challenged inequities in employment, education, income, and they insisted on a more inclusive curriculum that included their histories and experiences (Strong-Boag, 2016). Through the 1970s, other oppressed groups, such as gay and lesbian groups, the elderly, and people with disabilities, found support for their movements to make education more equitable. As a result, different programs and policies emerged with slight modifications to the traditional curriculum (Sleeter & Grant, 1987, p. 421). For example, many African Americans and other people of colour challenged discriminatory practices in public institutions. They also demanded to have their histories and struggles reflected in textbooks and school curricula. The African Americans’ movement encouraged other minority ethnic and racial groups such as Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, and Indigenous peoples to raise their demands for inclusion in schools, colleges, and university curricula (Banks, 2004). Accordingly, ethnic studies developed as the first phase in the historical development of multicultural education (Banks, 2013, pp.73- 74). Afterwards, teachers who supported equality for their students of colour added Mexican Americans, Indigenous peoples, and Asian Americans to the list of heroes that were studied and to the holidays that the schools recognized and honoured (Banks, 2013, p. 74). According to Gollnick and Chinn (2016), other marginalized identity groups demanded that schools, colleges, universities, and other institutions make changes that would reflect their histories, cultures, and experiences in the United States. Therefore, multiethnic education was expanded to include gender, exceptionality, and social class. This broader understanding of diversity and education became known as multicultural education. Even though theoretical literature regarding multicultural education has increased dramatically, a significant divide between theory and practice is noticeable. The practice of multicultural education in K-12 settings is often characterized by minor addition of diverse content into the curriculum or by diversity training for teachers (Cochran- Smith, 2004; Sleeter, 1996). Cochran-Smith